Summer is here and with it comes water activities. Whether your baby or toddler is playing in a backyard wading pool, or going with you to the community pool or public waterpark, a swim diaper is a necessity.

When looking for a swim diaper, unlike when selecting a cloth diaper to be used "out" of the pool, absorption is not a determing factor. Swim diapers, like the Imse Vimse Swim Diaper are not to be absorbent at all. A diaper that absorbs will become heavy with pool water or urine which poses a danger of "weighing down" the child in the pool. This is why disposable diapers with super absorbent polymers are an unwise choice for swimming pools. The absorbent gel found in the core of a disposable diaper can absorb up to 100 times its weight in fluids. Immerse a disposable diaper in a sink or tub and feel how much heavier it becomes. Over the course of an hour of pool time, the "full" absorbent core will begin to break down and tear apart. This exposes your child's genitals directly to the chemical gel, and it pollutes the pool.

To be in compliance with health department regulations, a swim diaper needs only to contain solid messes. Chemicals within a pool take care of urine a baby may pass, but solids need to be contained within the diaper to reduce health risks in shared water settings. And of course, if a child is of potty training age, they should be taken to a restroom regularly to relieve him/herself there.